Mike is a retired stock broker, and now published author of Gold Rush!. In addition, he is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, personal finance and home decor now writing from San Miguel, Mexico.

The third story takes you to the plains of Africa for a look at lions in their natural habitat and the story of a married couple who have made a home and a name for themselves among the big cats. Few know more about lions than Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who have been filming them for 30 years. Correspondent Lara Logan reports.

Marcus Grubb, Managing Director, Investment at the World Gold Council said:

â€œGold is beginning to re-establish itself as part of the fabric of the financial system. In the medium term, the quantitative easing initiatives in the West and the continuing growth story in the East, particularly in India and China, coupled with the seasonally strong quarter coming up in Asia, are excellent indicators for further growth in the gold market.

â€œAgainst a backdrop of continued global economic uncertainty and elections in China and the US, it is clear from five year rising demand trends that gold’s fundamental property as a vehicle for capital preservation continues to endure, as evidenced by this quarter’s increase in global ETF investment, up 56% and continued purchasing by central banks, the ultimate long term investors.â€

On the heels of an interview I posted of Eric Sprott saying we have a Gold shortage, comes this news from Austria:

Since 2007 Austria’s national bank has had a constant reserve of around 280 tons of gold; 224.4 tonnes (around 80%) of Austrian gold reserves were in the United Kingdom, around 6.9 tonnes (around 3%) are in Switzerland, and around 48.7 tonnes (around 17%) are in Austria itself.

“The bank said that the reason to store gold abroad was that because in a time of crisis it could be speedily traded.Â Through leasing of its gold the Austrian National Bank has in the last 10 years earned around 300,000,000 euros.”

Leasing means they leased the Gold to a third party receiving an interest rate. The third party sold the Gold, capping the Gold market, and investing the proceeds.Â If there is a Gold shortage and Austria wants to repatriate its Gold from the leasee, how does the leasee get the Gold back? Hate to say it Austria, but “Its Gone!”

“…of how the fiscal cliff would affect typical families in each state, the Tax Foundation reports that if the numerous tax provisions that are due to expire on Dec. 31 are not changed, a four-person family in New Jersey with a median income of $101,682 will see its taxes go up at a rate 6.82 percent of its income, which translates into about $6,933.

“The tax issues in question are the expiration of the Bush tax rates, which also include the elimination of the 10 percent tax bracket and the reduced deduction for married filers; ending the 2 percent cut to employee-side Social Security taxes; and the Alternative Minimum Tax.”

Oregonian middle-income families with a median income of $65,950 will see their tax increase go up 4.62%. You don’t want to pay your fair share, then you’d better hope that the Republicans hold the line on taxes!